DAY FOR PLAY, A DAY FOR
LEARNINGA REPORT ON THE
1989 CHILDREN'S SEMINAR

by: Denise Mackenstadt

[PICTURE] Crossing a street with an experienced blind cane
traveler in charge can teach a blind youngster a lot about
independent travel. The walk to and from a nearby park
gave the children an opportunity to see blind adults
traveling confidently and independently.[PICTURE] New friendships were cemented at the picnic in the park
as the children lolled in the cool grass under shady trees
and munched on cookies they had baked that morning.

1989 was the fourth year that a day of special
activities was planned for children who came with
their parents to the National Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. While parents
were learning about blindness by listening to
speakers in the Parents Seminar, children (both
sighted and blind) were learning about blindness in
the way they learn best--by doing, by playing, and
by observing and imitating the adults around them.
Here is a report by Denise Mackenstadt about that
special day for the children.
On the morning of July 3, 1989, fifty-two eager
children were transported from the Radisson
Hotel Denver (convention headquarters of the
National Federation of the Blind 1989 National
Convention) to the Colorado Center for the
Blind for a day of fun and learning about blindness.
These children were blind and sighted and
they ranged in age from five-years- to fifteenyearsold.
The children came from many different
kinds of backgrounds. But one common ingredient was that each one of them had a family
member who was blind.

The adult teachers, ably led by Lori LeBlanc,
were Federationists who would prove to be positive
role models for all of the young people participating
in the day's activities.

Upon arrival at the Colorado Center for the
Blind the children were divided into groups by
age. In the morning each group, led by a blind
adult, rotated to a variety of activities. The activities
included constructing a Braille memory
book of their day, learning to use a long white
cane for travel, baking cookies for a treat later in
the day, and preparing their own sack lunches.

At lunch time each child took their lunch and
everyone traveled independently to a nearby
park (blind children who did not have canes with
them were issued canes for the day). The children
played and ate their lunches. After lunch, the
group returned to the Colorado Center to finish
projects and to wind down from a full day of
activities.

In the afternoon a tired but happy group of
children and adults returned to the convention of
the National Federation of the Blind to be
reunited with parents.

The most rewarding result of this day was the
dialogue and budding friendships among the
children and between the children and the blind
counselors. These things can only happen if
people spend time together. This day helped
fifty-two children see for themselves--by interacting
with blind Federationists-that it is O.K. to
be blind.